In recent years, advances in technology, as well as ever-evolving tastes in style, have led to substantial changes in the design of automobiles. Many of the changes involve the variety, complexity, and quality of the luxury and convenience features now found as standard equipment on many automobiles.
Some of the most frequently used features on automobiles are the doors which allow occupants access to the automobile's cabin. Consumers have come to expect a particular feel of the operation of the doors, including the force required to close (and open) the doors. In particular, consumers expect the doors to close completely with only a moderate amount of force (or closing velocity). As such, manufacturers often test the force, or velocity, required to completely close the doors (i.e., “door-closing velocity”) on the assembly line using large, automated machinery. However, there is often a need to test the minimum velocity required to close the doors after the automobile has left the manufacturing plant, such as when a salesperson or consumer suspects that the door is not closing (or opening) properly.
Accordingly, it is desirable to develop a portable or hand-held device for measuring the minimum velocity required to close the doors on an automobile. In addition, it is desirable that the device be lightweight, robust, easy to use, and relatively inexpensive. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the portable door-closing velocity measuring tool will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.